An acute complication of diabetes can quickly deteriorate into a metabolic crisis. Hypoglycemia, for instance, can make your patient’s mental status decrease quickly. Left untreated, she can become comatose and suffer permanent brain damage. Acute hyperglycemia can also trigger dangerous consequences.As a nurse, you’re in an excellent position to detect the early signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and other acute complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic (HHNK) syndrome . You can also identify findings that suggest the Somogyi phenomenon, an acute complication of treatment, and the dawn phenomenon, another problem related to diabetes. And your quick detection can lead to swift interventions that save your patient from life-threatening consequences.